Edited for Space

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army

by Spc. Jennifer J. Eidson

This past Sunday (9/12/2010), the Denver Post printed a story on page 3A that told of an event in Anchorage Alaska. The story is interesting because the printed version is quite different from the version shown on the paper’s Web site. Here’s a taste of the printed version (first seven paragraphs)…

Beck, Palin draw crowds
Some paid to see the Tea Party favorites as others protested in Anchorage

          By Rachel D’Oro

The Associated Press

Anchorage, Alaska
An event featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and conservative commentator Glenn Beck on Saturday night brought out two very different crowds.

Thousands of fans who paid $73.75 to $225 for tickets gathered inside the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center to see Beck introduced by Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and a potential 2012 presidential candidate. The two are Tea Party favorites.

Outside the downtown center, about 60 protesters waved signs and denounced Palin and Beck as intolerant fearmongers spreading divisiveness across the country.

"We feel that they are inciting racism in what they do and what they say and how they go about it," said Lynette Moreno-Hinz, an Alaska Native who helped organize the protest.

Holding a sign that said "Freedom isn't just for zealots," Brian MacMillan of Anchorage wondered where all the passion from the right was during George W. Bush's presidency, when the U.S. economy began its downward slide.

MacMillan also urged Palin and Beck supporters to ease up on President Barack Obama.

"Give the man in charge his due," he said. "He's doing the best he can."

Contrast this with the online version of the AP story. Here are the first few paragraphs…

Beck, Palin draw divergent crowds at Alaska event
Some paid to see the Tea Party favorites as others protested in Anchorage.

By Rachel D'oro
The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin introduced Glenn Beck at an event in her home state Saturday night, telling several thousand roaring fans that the conservative commentator has inspired millions.

Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and a potential 2012 presidential candidate, told Beck that he represents why so many citizens never have to apologize for being American. She criticized the mainstream media, then asked "what would we do without Fox News?"

Palin and Beck, a popular Fox News Channel personality, took turns recalling what they were doing when they heard of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Palin, who was mayor of Wasilla at the time, said she got a call from the town's police chief about the attacks, then turned on her television.

"It looked unreal that this was happening to our country," she said.

She said she shut down city hall, then went over to her church to pray for the country.

Beck said he was getting ready for work when he learned of what had happened in New York and at the Pentagon.

"Here we are so many years later, and I fear we are forgetting," he said.

In the printed version, we are told that about 4,000 tickets were sold for the event and that Mr. Beck was donating his speaking fee to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The online version has the additional quotes cited above, and increases the count of protestors from 60 to 100.

Other than these substantive changes, there is a definitive style difference between the two stories. It’s as if the text of the online version was selectively extracted to create the distinctive tone of the printed version.

The printed version lets us know that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin were featured at an event in Alaska (paragraphs one and two) but then focuses on the protestors. We are told of the strong feelings of the protestors, and their passionate belief that Republicans are:

--Promoting freedom just for themselves
--Being intolerant fear mongers
--Spreading divisiveness across the country
--Inciting racism
--Being intolerant of President Obama
--Failing to blame President Bush for starting the current economic crisis.

Why the difference in tone between the two pieces? It could be an example of newspaper editing at its finest; an attempt to convey the AP writer’s actual intent.

Then again, it might be an example of the finer points of our anti-Republican culture. Here’s what I’m getting at:

Anti-Republican Culture organizes its posts into four classifications, depending on the situation being covered…

The Themes – Any of the six themes of the Democratic Party

The Ministry of Truth – Stressing anti-Republican perceptions

“So Right and Natural” – Outrageous anti-Republican behavior portrayed as being normal

Republicans Under Siege – News stories of Republicans being assaulted, jeered, or censured.

The printed version of the Denver Post hits all four of the categories. The protestors emphasize the theme that Republicans are bad people and must be fought with vigorous counter-demonstrations. What is “right and natural” is that concerned Americans (the protestors) are expressing their distinctive moral authority and exercising their First Amendment rights. The Ministry of Truth comes into play when the story devolves into another opportunity to point out the failings of Republicans.

Newspaper editors have the power to shape a story to fit their style and narrative. I think the story on page 3A is a good example of the weekend editors of the Denver Post doing their part to quietly foster anti-Republican culture in our Rocky Mountain region.

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Cultural Persecution

NBC file photo courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle

I was contacted recently by Elizabeth Docent about the various posts I have done on Sarah Palin. I agreed to do another interview. Here’s the transcript…

Libby: What’s up with you and Sarah Palin?

Howard: What do you mean?

Libby: I searched your site using the string “Sarah” and almost 10% of your posts have a reference to Governor Palin.

Howard: I guess I just find her fascinating?

Libby: Tell me more.

Howard: She is a cultural lightning rod. Our culture has an obsession with her.

Libby: Why do you think that is?

Howard: She is currently the “chief promoter” of the principles of our Constitution, and our culture sees that as a threat.

Libby: You are starting to get weird on me. Explain that.

Howard: Look at events in the Middle East during the time of Christ. He was promoting a set of principles that resonated with the people being governed by the Romans. The Roman culture saw him as a threat to its authority and took action. You probably remember the headline:

FINALLY! Rabble-Rousing Carpenter Put To Death

Libby: So you see Sarah Palin as a “Second Coming?”

Howard: Now it’s YOU getting weird on me! No, this doesn’t have a religious context, but Governor Palin is living a modern-day cultural persecution, just as was documented some 2,000 years ago. We are watching that same dynamic play out here in the United States.

Libby: OK, I’m going to need an example.

Howard: Did you see my post about American Dhimmitude?

Libby: Yes, that came up in the “Sarah” search.

Howard: It had Kathleen Gustafson, a professed teacher, displaying a large banner proclaiming Sarah Palin as the “WORST GOVERNOR EVER.” Sarah confronted Ms. Gustafson, and the story was covered by the press.

Was the story about this person who apparently knows how to rank governors? Ms. Gustafson knows that governors like George Wallace of Alabama promoted segregation of people with dark skin tone. She knows that governors like Rod Blagojevich of Illinois have been convicted of crimes. Yet she sees them as being much better than Governor Palin. Governor Palin is the WORST GOVERNOR EVER!

Ms. Gustafson has the power to indoctrinate young people with her system of values and beliefs. Is the story about her? No, the story is that Governor Palin rolled her eyes when listening to the accusations of Ms. Gustafson. It is Governor Palin’s reaction that is the story, and our culture takes her to task.

Libby: That’s just one example.

Howard: See my post about the Family Guy episode. It documents the same effect. It happens over and over. It’s a form of persecution.

Libby: OK, but you also had a recent post on Todd Palin, Sarah’s husband.

Howard: Yes! Here is the person closest to Governor Palin, and he has insights nobody else shares. Going back to the earlier comparison, it’s like being able to interview Mary and Joseph during the time of Christ. Wouldn’t you want to know about their hopes and fears? Did they have any sense of destiny? Our culture downplays this type of reporting, but it offers a perspective that may be of great interest, depending on how events turn out over the next few years.

Libby: I think you are a bit overwrought with all of this.

Howard: As I said, I find it fascinating. Our culture is working overtime to get the narrative properly established on Governor Palin. Here’s one more for you to watch:

Sarah was apparently pregnant when she and Todd were married. (Less than eight months elapsed between their elopement and the birth of Track.) Have you read anything about that? Could it be that our culture is trying to figure out how to manufacture a “Sarah is not a true feminist” narrative, and the pre-marital sex issue is hard to fit in?

Libby: Hmmm.

Howard: A cultural persecution only comes along every millennium or two, and it’s fascinating to watch!

Libby: We’ll stay tuned.

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Meeting Mr. Palin

Todd Palin and Trig

Stacy McCain has an unbelievable scoop over at his site and at The American Spectator, titled "Meeting Mr. Palin."  It's an interview in Wasilla, Alaska with Todd Palin at his home.  It should not be missed.

Need some encouragement?  Check this out:

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Bad Optics!

Classic Poster from Les Miserables

Have you ever used the terminology, “bad optics?” It is meant to describe well-meaning people inadvertently delivering a bad visual message. The context is normally that of political insiders referencing a political indiscretion.

An example from early last month (August, 2010) was First Lady Michelle Obama taking her coterie on a lavish vacation in Spain. Because the United States is currently dealing with major unemployment problems, it brought to mind images of Marie Antoinette. Another recent example was Senator John Kerry attempting to avoid Massachusetts taxes by docking his yacht at a slip in Rhode Island.

Senator Kerry is in the news again. This time it’s about being named the richest man in the United States Senate.

And here’s something that might also be newsworthy: Senator Kerry has just written an appeal for donations on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). His 8/31/2010 e-mail, titled “Smear”, tells us about Karl Rove’s involvement in a “shadowy new smear factory:”

Rove and a group of secret donors are building a $50 million war chest to finance what they call - get this! - "hard-hitting issue advocacy." That sounds like a fancy way of saying they'll be doing to good people like Russ Feingold and Barbara Boxer what they did to me in 2004: lie, smear, distort, and deceive. Remember those ads? I sure do - and now it's my friends who are in the crosshairs.

Senator Kerry casts Mr. Rove as a person we must fear, letting us know that “the stakes could not be higher.” He asks that we “stand together and fight back” by sending at least $5 to the DSCC.

This is certainly a different approach than what might be called the “classic appeal” described by the novelist Charles Dickens. His “street urchin” character, Oliver Twist, would beg for food in London. That appeal worked because Oliver clearly could use some help.

Senator Kerry, the richest man in Congress, is asking us to send him $5. For some reason, it doesn’t have quite the same “zing.”

It works in our anti-Republican culture, but somehow doesn't it seem grating?

UPDATE 9/5/2010:
Linked by Left Coast Rebel!  Tim is looking for any inside scoop on the California Senate race.  If you have something, please let him know.

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The Emmys

The 2010 Emmy Awards were held this past Sunday (8/29/2010) and 13.5 million viewers watched the live show. It was a vindication of sorts for script writers, as “Modern Family”, “Mad Men”, and “Breaking Bad” all won Emmys.

“Modern Family” covers close family relationships with great comedic style while “Mad Men” depicts American life in the1960s with amazing veracity. “Breaking Bad” is a one-of-a-kind drama created by Vince Gilligan that focuses on the consequences of involvement in our drug culture.

In each case, the writing is exceptional. If you’ve watched any of these shows, you know there is astonishing creativity coming out of Hollywood these days.

The award for “Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series” went to Jon Stewart for “The Daily Show.” The Emmys featured a clip of Mr. Stewart doing a sketch dissecting the word “liberals.” Jon uses his comedic license to show how the word can be written as “Li – be – RALs” to convey the “Lies” and the “Radical Anti-social Leftists” associated with the group.

OK, that’s not what really happened. Here’s a link to a video that includes the actual sketch (first 30 seconds of the clip).

The segment provides the obligatory anti-Republican sentiment we’ve come to expect in the award ceremonies of our entertainment industry. Jon Stewart certainly deserves his award, but must we be instructed on the “lies” spouted by Republicans and the hidden links to “Aryan” groups?

The producers of the Emmy Awards chose this segment as emblematic of Mr. Stewart’s talent. I’m guessing they know our anti-Republican culture approves.

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Religion and Politics

Brian Griffin from "Family Guy"

Religion and politics are the two topics that cannot be discussed at most dinner tables. My mother-in-law once said (over forty years ago!), “You may discuss religion and politics at the dinner table, but you can’t go away mad.”

I took those words with a grain of salt at the time. As I’ve gotten older, they take on greater import.

Why are religion and politics grouped together in this fashion? Why are they such emotional and divisive topics? Why must we tread carefully in their presence?

I think it is because they are two sides of the same emotional coin. I alluded to this in the New York Mosque post, where the manner in which you perceive that debate depends on whether you think of Islam as a religion or as a political movement. I also noted that both religion and politics look to achieve greater power by combining the two belief systems. Religions strive to attain the power of political movements, and political movements seek out the elements of religious fervor. The most powerful (and destructive) historical movements have combined the two.

Where are the current examples? The convenient target is always The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons). The secular involvement of the church is frequently attacked, most notably by Jon Krakauer.

But the more intense comparison comes when you contrast the influence of Islam in world politics with the influence of the Democratic Party in the affairs of our American culture.

Is Islam really a political movement? Does the Democratic Party see its battles as a sectarian “fight”?

This blog points out the workings of our anti-Republican culture and allows its readership to connect the dots. However, one point is worth reflection:

A common denominator for Islam and the Democratic Party is hate. Islam uses Christians and Jews as objects of hate. The Democratic Party uses Republicans.

Adherents of each ideology use the word “moderate” as a descriptor for the less extreme advocates. What is that common denominator linking moderate Muslims and moderate Democrats?

They both eschew the hatred.

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Immortality

The main premise behind America’s desire for healthcare reform is that our healthcare system is broken.

Reuters helps foster the insecurity with quotes such as this:

The United States, a country of 300 million people, ranks 42nd in the world in life expectancy, according to previously released data.

What if that statistic is contrived, and the overriding premise is false? What if we have a REALLY GOOD system and we end up destroying it in order to feel good about ourselves?

It takes a Canadian native and president of the Pacific Research Institute to raise the question and set the record straight. Sally Pipes does just that in her book, "The Truth About Obamacare." It is a reference book that explains the provisions of healthcare reform that our legislators didn’t have the time to review before casting their votes earlier this year.

As Reuters demonstrates, one of the primary “facts” cited to indicate that our system is broken is that American life expectancy is less than in other rich nations with government-run medical systems. Thomas Sowell references Ms. Pipes in a column today, and shows the “spin” associated with this statistic. (h/t: Urgent Agenda)

Political Calculations helps us with a convenient chart of the actual data. The chart describes the statistical influence of “non-natural causes of death” such as homicides, automobile accidents, and accidental poisonings.

It turns out that Americans rank first in life expectancy once fatal injuries are taken into account

And so the question lingers: Are deaths by vehicle accident indicative of a broken healthcare system?

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